The North East Sling Library is very excited to announce we will be running a fundraising prize draw in the run up to, and at, The North East Baby and Toddler Roadshow. We are very grateful to Sarah at Connecta Baby Carrier donating us a silk Connecta as a prize. As you are aware the sling library is a not for profit group so the more money we can raise the better.

The Connecta is our most popular sling (to the point where my personal one is always on loan), suitable from 7.5lb they are fab for newborn cuddles and beyond. They are a buckle carrier but not a soft structured carrier as there is no firm waist. It is effectively a mai tai with buckles. Simple to use, folds up small and the perfect starter sling.

Worth £75 we will be selling raffle tickets for £1 at the sling library sessions on Saturday 9th, Wednesday 16th and during the day on Saturday 16th. We will then draw the raffle on Saturday afternoon. Contact me if you would like to buy but can't make those dates.

Right this may end up a rant and I apologise in advance. There is not a lot that riles me but people spouting 'stories' as fact is one of them.

I am lucky enough to be an adopted member of Sheffield Slings. Not a sling library and 2 hours from Durham. This fab group has had lots of success as they try to being slings to the masses. In 2012 they won the International Babywearing Week Award for Best Outreach Programme. Since their inception in 2012 they have grown from strength to stength.

So, what is with my blog title then? Well it is this letter to the editor. Entitled 'Don't risk baby for a pretty sling', as it appears at least one resident of Sheffield has taken exception to the photo and the fact slings can be pretty.

Yes slings can be pretty but it is not the prettiness that means we choose to use them. They are practical. The look is an added benefit. But that is not my main gripe with this concerned letter writer. My concern comes from the fact that in my opinion they are talking a load of old twaddle. In the letter they describe how 'they knew one lady who used these slings, fell over while carrying shopping and banged babies head'.

1) You fall over, whether carrying shopping or not instinct means you put you arms out to protect yourself. Most likey hurting yourself to protect baby.

2). Using a buggy does not guarantee baby is safe. I have personal experience of this.

I had the foot plate (which wheel attached to) snap off our 3 wheel pushchair. This left my eldest (then only 4 months old) left hanging by the straps! Also if you fall over when pushing buggy how do you stop it rolling away? Possibly into road etc.

3) If the mothers in this photo had carried babies in arms and slipped they would have undoubtedly dropped baby.

There are very few activities you shouldn't do when carrying your baby in a sling; Ride bike, ride horse etc. Taking a stroll is not one! When I talk to parents on Babywearing safety it is on the importance of positioning not a list of prohibited activities which we talk about.

I refer parents to the TICKS guidelines. This is what I stress and is the reason I will not advocate or teach the cradle position for example.

The person who has written this letter clearly has no idea about slings or carriers and it saddens me that the have taken it upon themselves to dismiss and criticise something they clearly know nothing about, instead prefer to refer to hearsay.

As for slings with headboards, I can only assume they mean a mass produced front pack and hey they have their own issues relegated to hip support and comfort to the wearer.

All I can say is if you are interested in carrying your child don't let naysayers stop you. Speak to experienced sling users, Babywearing consultants and sling librarians. Research infant development and you will soon discover babies are biologically designed to need carrying. If our ancestors had not carried their young, we would not have existed as a species, as for as long as we have needed to move, there had been a need to carry our babies. (Taylor, 2010 'The Artificial Ape').

And hey if we want to do this in a pretty sling go for it. We choose our othes to look good so why not our sling.

Finally if you wish to find out more about Sheffield Slings you can visit their website or Facebook page.

I know not everyone can get to the sling library, although the introduction of Saturday sling sessions has allowed more to come. I already do sling hire UK wide via Royal Mail special delivery.

So I have been thinking of other ways to help. And I have been thinking about utilising the modern technology we have available. Therefore if you have an iPhone, iPad or Apple Mac with FaceTime on it I am excited to be able to offer iConsultations.

How will they work?

Ok it isn't possible for a full consultation where I demo, we mirror and you do it yourself but it does mean I can give more support than just by email or phone.

So if you hire by post, addition to receiving your sling, if you have the technology I am happy to offer a short online demo if you would like one.

If you already own a sling and want to tweak I will try and help. This will be easiest if library has a similar or identical sling or you want a sling demo as you don't know where to start.

I hope to also be able to offer these by Skype too in the near future. I am just trying to get to grips with it.

I know they aren't as good as the real thing but hope they will help bridge the gap. I won't charge for these but donations to the sling library would be appreciated.

16th March 2013 - Newcastle Falcons, Kingston Park

Photo credit - www.northeastbabyandtoddlershow.co.uk

We will be exhibiting at The North East Baby and Toddler show on Saturday 16th March. And we have been lucky enough to be given a pair of tickets to give away. You can find out more about them on twitter @NEbabytoddlers1For your chance to come please leave a comment below and we will use a random number selector to pick the winner. Competiton open until 9pm on Saturday 2nd March.

Tying a slip knot and slip knot rebozo hip carry should be easy but lots of mums and dads find it difficult. Hopefully these photos will show you how to do it step by step.

Suitable from birth and can be used in the tummy to tummy, or hip carry positions.

Wrap used in photos Trageschule Sommer size 2. Baby Isaac is 9months old in photos.

Find the middle of your wrap.

Gather and place middle of wrap on the middle of your shoulder.

Reach behind you and grab wrap at about your shoulder blade height. Pull it down to your bottom. You will have a short tail over your shoulder.

Bring the part of the wrap behind you to the side. Hold the top rail.

Gather wrap by pleating from bottom to top.

Size your pouch for baby to go in by bringing one hand to roughly your hip bone, the other to coursage position.

Long tail will now be crossing over the shorter tail.

Take longer tail underneath the short tail and let it drop down over itself. Avoid touching the short inactive tail.

Now take active long tail underneath short inactive tail. Then continue over too of short tail and through gap/loop created.

Tighten by pushing the sandwiched bit over shorter rail together before pulling the two horizontal pieces right together.

Place baby in by teasing his feet through by reaching up from underneath wrap. Seat him on the band before bringing it up over his back. If knot has dropped lift baby's weight and pull wrap back into position.

Bring wrap up over baby's back. 1/3 under bum, 1/3 supporting back and 1/3 supporting neck.
To remove slack grab top rail and bring to the knot. Then for first time you work with the inactive shorter tail by pulling slack through. Lift baby's weight to help remove resistance. Remove slack a bit at a time by working from top to bottom rail. Repeat as necessary until slack removed.
For babies without head control, fold the too rail over and place a place a rolled muslin here to create a padded head support.

Spread over shoulder (which I could have done more) so it cups shoulder. And there you go.